The Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research
Committed to advancing the scientific study of the placenta, early development, and maternal-fetal interactions.
Find us at trophoblast.cam.ac.uk
- Exciting News! 🚀 Registration Open! | Loke CTR Annual Meeting 2026 🎉 📅 16-17 July 2026 📍 St John’s College, Cambridge | 💻 Hybrid conference (in-person & online) 🔬 Epigenetics of embryogenesis and placentation 📌 To find out more and to register www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/ctrconferenc...
- ⏰ Deadline Incoming - 30 January 2026! Join the Loke CTR as our Next Generation Fellow, a stepping stone to career independence in the field of placental and reproductive biology. Want to learn more? Find all the application details on our website 🔗 lnkd.in/esBs5KPX 🚀 Please spread the word!
- We were delighted to welcome Marika Charalambous yesterday for the latest talk in the Loke CTR Seminar Series. Over 50 of our network joined for her talk 'Conversations between mother and fetus: lipid dynamics in pregnancy'. Thanks Marika for joining us! www.crick.ac.uk/research/lab...
- Applications close tomorrow!! Fully funded 4-year PhD studentships in reproductive and placental biology. Last chance to apply go to trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/phd-studentships
- Calling all postdocs / early career researchers! The Loke CTR Next Generation Fellowship is a stepping stone to research independence! Visit 🔗 www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/next-generat... Need guidance to find a research sponsor? Register your interest via our short form forms.office.com/e/vST36RSB96
- 📢 Final call for applications! Closing 4 November 2025 Fully funded 4-year PhD studentships in reproductive and placental biology 🔗 Learn more about the projects and apply at trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/phd-studentships Please spread the word! 📣
- 2 weeks left to apply! Fully-funded 4-year PhD studentships for home or overseas students, applications open till 4 November. 🔗 Please like and share to spread the word! www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/phd-students... Take a look at projects for 2025/26 www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/opportunitie...
- Fully-funded 4-year PhD studentships for home or overseas students, applications open till 4 November. 🔗 Please like and share to spread the word! www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/phd-students... Take a look at projects for 2025/26 www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/opportunitie... #PhD, #PhDPosition
- Looking to pursue cutting-edge research in early development, maternal-fetal interaction, or placental biology? See 👇 - Funded PhD www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/phd-students... - Next Generation Fellowship www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/next-generat... - MPhil www.mphil.bio.cam.ac.uk/mphil-pathwa...
- Today we celebrate the life and legacy of Bob Edwards, pioneer of IVF, welcoming over 200 visitors for a two part event to mark what would have been his 100th birthday! Read more at www.cam.ac.uk/research/new...
- Are you looking to pursue innovative research in the field of placental and reproductive biology? The Loke CTR Next Generation Fellowship is a stepping stone to research independence! 📝 Applications are open for our 2026 NGF www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/51104/ 🗣️ Please spread the word!
- Day 1 of Placental Biology Course ✅ After a day of learning, including a hands on organoids practical, our participants enjoyed a walking tour of Cambridge before a well earned rest! #lokectr #placentalbiologycourse25 #pbc25
- 🚀 We’re all set! This Sunday marks the return of the Placental Biology Course – our first in-person for six years. 25 participants joining for lectures and practical sessions delivered by experts in the field of placental biology!
- We're excited! Next week we'll be welcoming our first in person attendees since 2019 to our 2025 Placental Biology Course for a week of lectures and practical sessions. All the live lectures are being recorded. For 2026 the course will be online. Back in person for 2027.
- Just over 6 weeks till the event 'Bob Edwards centenary: His life, work and legacy' Do you have your tickets yet? www.tickettailor.com/events/churc... Join us for scientific sessions and a life and legacy panel discussion in the wonderful surroundings of Churchill College
- Technicians are the life blood of our lab - our own Alice featured earlier this year on the technicians network Day in the Life series, if you've not seen it yet why not take a look... www.technicians.admin.cam.ac.uk/see-technici... #labtechnicians #labtech #lokectr
- Loke CTR members Sung Gong, Gordon Smith and Steve Charnock-Jones, and collaborators have shown that raised Leptin and Pappalysin2 cell-free RNAs are hallmarks of pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia with fetal growth restriction. 📖 Read more:
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast ResearchGuest post 🙌 by Dr Priscilla Day-Walsh @loke-ctr.bsky.social Next Generation Fellow www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/staff/dr-pri..., Bye-fellow @homertoncollege.bsky.social and visiting scientist @quadraminstitute.bsky.social 🧵6/7
- Attended our Annual Meeting last week? Any thoughts or reflections? Jump over to our LinkedIn to let us know! www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
- We're excited to welcome everyone for day 1 of our annual meeting 'The Placenta at Term' see you soon!
- Next week! In-person registration is now closed but you can still join online: See the programme www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/ctrconferenc... Register online onlinesales.admin.cam.ac.uk/conferences-...
- 🔬 Does your research explore placental ageing, senescence, prolonged pregnancy, or term complications like pre-eclampsia? Join leading experts at our Annual Meeting! Registration open, don’t miss your chance to be part of the discussion. www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/ctrconferenc...
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast ResearchAre you passionate about data and do you enjoy coding in Stata? Come and work with me at the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology in Cambridge! Please share with anyone who might be interested, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions. www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/51739/
- The 2025 Kyoto Prize for Basic Sciences has been awarded to Professor Azim Surani for his “Discovery of Genomic Imprinting in Mammals and Elucidation of Its Molecular Mechanisms.” 🏅 Congratulations to Professor Surani on this tremendous honour! www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/news/azim-su...
- In person registration for the Annual Meeting closes this Friday. To join us at Churchill College on 7-8 July visit www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/ctrconferenc... to book your place
- 📣 We’re hiring! Executive Manager (maternity cover) to help lead ops, HR, events & strategy in a collaborative, interdisciplinary research centre. Find out more and share in your networks 👇 www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/51564/
- Big congratulations to Busma Butt, our Chief Laboratory Research Technician, for earning a Green Impact Sustainability Badge from SOS-UK! 🌿 Fantastic work championing sustainable lab practices 👏 #Sustainability #GreenImpact #LabLeadership www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast ResearchThank you to everyone who has registered to attend YEN 2025! You can still register for online attendence to hear talks and look at online posters. We have sent out a programme to our attendees so if you haven't heard from us just email us or reach out on social media. #yen2025
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast ResearchWe are happy to announce student and postdoc speakers. Thanks to all who submitted an abstract! #yen2025
- 👇A great opportunity for a postdoc position with Naomi and Catherine - find out more at www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/51127/ please share in your networks
- ⚡Deadline approaching! Abstract submissions for 'The Placenta at Term' close 12 May www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/ctrconferenc...
- 🔬 Does your research explore placental ageing, senescence, prolonged pregnancy, or term complications like pre-eclampsia? Join leading experts at our Annual Meeting! Registration open, don’t miss your chance to be part of the discussion. www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/ctrconferenc...
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast ResearchNew podcast interview on the placenta! open.spotify.com/episode/0rnA...
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast ResearchWe are excited to host Dr. Maxim Greenberg and Dr. Courtney Hanna this week to kickoff the Leuven Epigenetics Club!
- We're excited to be hosting this event along with @chuarchives.bsky.social 📅 26 September 2025 | 🕑 2 PM – 7:30 PM 📍 Physiology Building & Churchill College Join us for a two-part event celebrating the pioneer of IVF 🎟️ Registration now open: www.tickettailor.com/events/churc...
- Friday 26th September 2025 - Bob Edwards centenary: His life, work and legacy will be held @loke-ctr.bsky.social and at Churchill College. Find out more and register to attend: buff.ly/soKuAC7 Registration page: buff.ly/PCFmVF2 #ivfhistory @cam-repro.bsky.social @pdncambridge.bsky.social
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast ResearchAs we turn 15, we want to collect feedback from you, our community, to ensure the Node is still relevant and useful. If you’ve ever visited the Node to read, write and interact with the #DevBio & #StemCell community, thank you! Please spare 5min to take our survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/7QHYQCW
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast ResearchNot long now until #PDNSymposium25! Will you be visiting us on 24th and 25th April? Go to the PDN Symposium web pages to find out more and plan your day www.pdn.cam.ac.uk/postdocs/pdn... 🧪 Thanks to our sponsors for their support 👏
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast ResearchThe Society For Reproduction and Fertility is hosting a 1-day symposium to celebrate its 75th birthday! Programme includes talks from world-leading reproductive scientists. When: 21st June 2025 Where: the Zoological Society of London. Early-bird rates until 30th April! Register: lnkd.in/e_SNQqxw
- 📢 Call for abstracts! ⏰ Deadline 12 May We're looking for poster and flash talk presenters for this July's Annual Meeting, themed 'The Placenta at Term' www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/ctrconferenc...
- Wondering what the Junior Technician role is really like? Check out this short video featuring our current Junior Technician for a glimpse into a typical day: www.technicians.admin.cam.ac.uk/career-devel... Applications are open until 21 April
- We are recruiting a Junior Technician to support research at the Loke CTR. This role would be a great opportunity for someone looking to gain hands-on lab experience before pursuing further study or a career in research. Application deadline: 21 April www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/50706/
- Myriam Hemberger of the Cumming School of Medicine at University of Calgary visited recently to present her talk as part of our seminar series. We are very grateful to her for joining us and meeting so many people during her visit back to Cambridge! @clairesenner.bsky.social @ucalgary.bsky.social
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast ResearchSend us your science images and art of embryos, organoids or stem cells! The YEN2025 Image Competition celebrates the beauty and complexity of developmental biology. Follow us to vote for the best entries between 2nd-16th May.
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast ResearchWe are excited to welcome everyone to Liverpool for this week’s Biologists @ 100 conference. We will posting across our social media channels all week and you can follow the action at #biologists100
- We are recruiting a Junior Technician to support research at the Loke CTR. This role would be a great opportunity for someone looking to gain hands-on lab experience before pursuing further study or a career in research. Application deadline: 21 April www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/50706/
- 🔬 Does your research explore placental ageing, senescence, prolonged pregnancy, or term complications like pre-eclampsia? Join leading experts at our Annual Meeting! Registration open, don’t miss your chance to be part of the discussion. www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/ctrconferenc...
- This Friday - last chance to apply! Please spread the word in your networks 📣 forms.office.com/e/kAq9TpwpUh
- ⏳ 1 week left! Applications for the 2025 Placental Biology Course close 21 March! An in-person course this September for scientists interested in placental biology - don’t miss out! Lectures and practical sessions. 🔗 Find out more and apply now: trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/placentalbio...
- ⏳ 1 week left! Applications for the 2025 Placental Biology Course close 21 March! An in-person course this September for scientists interested in placental biology - don’t miss out! Lectures and practical sessions. 🔗 Find out more and apply now: trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/placentalbio...
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast ResearchIt was great to be back @cambridgeuni.bsky.social to give a talk @gurdoninstitute.bsky.social Developmental Biology Seminar Series, and to talk science with people from @scicambridge.bsky.social, @loke-ctr.bsky.social, and @mrclmb.bsky.social! Spring has sprung @christscollegecam.bsky.social!
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast ResearchHow does complex organ form emerge during development? @timesaunders.bsky.social is looking at early muscle formation in zebrafish to investigate the biophysical mechanisms helping to build muscles. Join us today at 2:30 pm (online or in person) if you want to hear more!
- Our Annual Meeting this July 'The Placenta at Term' will explore topics including placental ageing, senescence, prolonged pregnancy, and the pathophysiology of term complications. Please pass it on 🗣️ bit.ly/annualmeeting25
- Call out to Cambridge community, our seminar 'Introduction to Inclusion' takes place next week. Tuesday 4 March, 3.30pm @ PDN. Students, researchers, academics, and professional staff at the University of Cambridge welcome, registration required at forms.microsoft.com/e/18y0Wq3Q2A
- Ever wondered how to mend a broken heart? 💔 Dr Priscilla Day-Walsh, Next Generation Fellow and Bye-Fellow at @homertoncollege.bsky.social, has the answer you may have been looking for! Happy Valentine's Day to the trophoblast community! www.homerton.cam.ac.uk/homersphere/...
- The Loke CTR team have worked hard on laboratory sustainability and efficiency and have been awarded LEAF Bronze status as a result! More about LEAF (Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework) www.ucl.ac.uk/sustainable/...
- We welcomed @margaridamcm.bsky.social to Cambridge last week. Margarida presented her talk 'The evolution of new cell types and organs: the view from the placenta'. We are very grateful to her for spending the day with us, meeting colleagues and presenting her fascinating research.
- #announcement please share 📢 We're delighted to launch registration for the Annual Meeting 2025 'The Placenta at Term' bit.ly/annualmeetin... And, applications open for Placental Biology Course, returning in-person, in Cambridge bit.ly/placentalbio... 25 places, application deadline 21 March!
- 10 days left to apply!
- For anyone following here who's not seen this on our other channels, closing date for the Loke CTR Next Generation Fellowship is 31 Jan 2025, details here www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/next-generat... Feel free to share in your networks!
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast ResearchOur first seminar of 2025 🤩 Precision Medicine - Transforming Healthcare 🩺🧬 This week we are delighted to welcome Professor Sir Mark Caulfield from @qmul.ac.uk, hosted by @cahirokane.bsky.social. 📅 Thursday 23 January 🕑 2pm 📍Biffen Lecture Theatre
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast ResearchThe Robinson College MCR/SCR Research Day is on Sat 1 February in the Crausaz Wordsworth Building, 9.30 am A series of talks from our postgraduate students and 2 talks from the SCR, Prof Alberto Rosello-Diez and Dr Yudan Ren. @geneticscam.bsky.social
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast ResearchThis is a fantastic initiative! Thanks for helping mother scientists
- Applications are open for our Caregiver Travel Grant 2025! Apply now for a chance to receive flexible funding to cover caregiving expenses while attending an in-person scientific conference! Apply: www.mothersinscience.com/caregiver-tr... 📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 #WomenInSTEM #STEMM #AcademicMama
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast ResearchExcited to share our most recent work in Cell Stem Cell, led by @georgiaplea.bsky.social, characterising determinants of DNA methylation patterning in human trophoblast stem cells! A great collaboration with @vpglab.bsky.social. tinyurl.com/93mchcd2 @loke-ctr.bsky.social @cam-repro.bsky.social
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research❗ANNOUNCEMENT❗ YEN 2025 Conference will be held at @crick.ac.uk on the 19th May 2025. We are looking forward to another exciting line-up with Nicolas Rivron, Maud Borensztein and Peter Rugg-Gunn. This year will see a return of the YEN Image Competition so follow for updates. Share for #YEN2025!
- For anyone following here who's not seen this on our other channels, closing date for the Loke CTR Next Generation Fellowship is 31 Jan 2025, details here www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/next-generat... Feel free to share in your networks!
- Reposted by The Loke Centre for Trophoblast ResearchOur very own Professor Ashley Moffett of Reproductive Immunology was awarded the prestigious CMP for Women’s Reproductive Health. The foremost international authority on the immunology of human reproduction, her work has helped explain high rates of pre-eclampsia and maternal mortality in Africa.
